Securing telecommunications infrastructures is an essential element to ensure the quality of services and the continuity of the operation of the various networks, both in normal situations and in disasters events. With this in mind, all sector stakeholders are working to strengthen and secure telecommunications networks, implementing various measures, such as:
- The diversification of international access points, by setting up new submarine links, in order to secure Algeria’s international bandwidth;
- Extending the capacity of existing cables and deploying new submarine cables have made it possible to reach a capacity of 7.8 Tbps at present, compared with 1.5 Tbp in 2020.
- Strengthening of national transport networks by the deployment of large-scale infrastructure, and ensuring, in same time, networking and diversification of transmission routes throughout the national territory;
- The implementation of redundancy systems by operators for their critical sites, particularly those relating to energy, to traffic routing nodes and to transmission links. This provide high reliability and eliminating any risk of interruption or isolation.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF OUR SECTOR IN THE ORSEC PLAN?
- Role and objective
The Emergency Organization Plan (ORSEC) is part of the State’s emergency planning and organization measures, designed to facilitate the management of natural disasters and other serious events affecting human life and causing the loss of infrastructure, including those related to major risks provided for in article 10 of Law No. 04-20 of 25 December 2004.
The ORSEC system consists of thirteen intervention modules covering all sectors, including the “Links and Telecommunications” module for the telecommunications sector. Those in charge of this module, are responsible for guaranteeing the continuity of telecommunications services for disaster management organizations and populations, in collaboration with operators and various stakeholders.
- Simulation exercises
Simulation exercises are a key tool for testing and evaluating the preparedness of institutions and stakeholders to respond to emergencies.
With regard to the telecommunications sector, the main aim of these exercises is to test the continuity of the functionning of telecoms services and the speed deployment of the necessary resources, to strengthen coordination between the various operators in the sector and to assess their availability and effectiveness in the event of a disaster.
In this context, local authorities in the Wilayas regularly organize simulations of ORSEC plan activations, so the telecommunications sector participates in these exercises under the supervision of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and with the participation of all telecom operators.
The most significant simulations in which the telecommunications sector has actively participated during the period 2020-2023 are as follows:
- Earthquake simulation in the wilaya of Boumerdes , October 2020;
- Earthquake simulation in the wilaya of MSila ,May 2022;
- Fire simulation in the wilaya of Bordj Bou Arréridj, June 2022;
- Earthquake simulation in the wilaya of Bouira ,May 2023;
- Earthquake simulation in the wilaya of Bordj Bou Arréridj, October 2023.
- Implementation and activation of the ORSEC plan
As a part of the triggering of the ORSEC Plan, the Telecommunications sector is involved in managing and monitoring the various disasters that have affected our country, including the most forest fires in Algeria in recent years, the most serious of which occurred in August 2021 in Tizi Ouzou, causing damage to telecoms infrastructures in the region. The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, in collaboration with operators, has taken the following measures:
- Setting up a national crisis unit to ensure continuous monitoring of the situation of the various communications networks in the affected wilayas, and coordinating the various operations between operators and local authorities.
- Mobilization of all human and technical resources required by operators, including the deployment of mobile stations, VSAT, power generators and mobile post offices.
INTERSECTORAL PREVENTION INITIATIVE
As part of the prevention and management of forest fires, a vast prevention campaign was launched by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications in 2023, in collaboration with the General Directorate of Forests and lindline and mobile telephone operators. The main objective of this initiative was to:
- Strengthen the security and protection of the telecommunications infrastructure installed in the national forest area and ensure continuity of services;
- Prevent the spread of forest fires and protect the forest mass;
- Reduce the risk of damage to telecommunication infrastructure caused by forest fire and by limiting damage.
This initiative has inspected 787 sites, of which 587 require preventive work, and has enabled the establishment of a detailed list with GPS coordinates of radio and transmission sites installed at the national forest area.